


Toes in the Sand

by AmeliaDarkholme



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cutting, F/M, Good Peter Pettigrew, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-16 10:34:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18519679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmeliaDarkholme/pseuds/AmeliaDarkholme
Summary: "I'm a man, McKinnon. And like every man in the world, I want the world in my hands. Wait, I do have the world in my hands. But for you, I'd give up the world any day."





	Toes in the Sand

**Author's Note:**

> This is a no-magic AU of the Harry Potter stories about the Marauders, set in modern times. So, no Voldemort and Peter's not betraying anyone. The title is from the song "Sweater Weather" by The Neighbourhood.

> _Sirius Black, Son of the Power Couple Orion and Wally Black – Hollywood's New Favourite Son_
> 
> _Only 10 Years Old, Sirius Black is the Youngest Oscar-Winning Best Supporting Actor Ever!_
> 
> _Meet Regulus; Youngest Grammy Nominated Singer Ever, and Younger Brother to Sirius Black_
> 
> _Black Brothers Rivalry: Are You #TeamSirius or #TeamRegulus?_
> 
> _The Marauders_ _– Highest Grossing Movie of All Time, Starring Best Friends Black and Potter_
> 
> _Sirius Black and James Potter; the Hottest Bad Boys of the Century_
> 
> _His Fourth Oscar Nomination at Only 16, Sirius: "It's Not a Big Deal."_
> 
> _Spotted! Sirius Black Going Out with a Mysterious Girl!_
> 
> _Sirius Black: Drop-Dead Gorgeous, Oscar Winner, and Now an Oxford Student – at Only Seventeen!_
> 
> _Setting Records Like His Brother; 15 Years Old Regulus is the Youngest Artist to Win More than 20 Grammys!_
> 
> _Once Again, Sirius Set a Record! Youngest Best Actor Nominee for the Oscars – at only 20!_
> 
> _Following His Brother's Footsteps, Regulus Black is Accepted into Oxford_
> 
> _Another Oscar for Sirius Black After His 23rd Birthday! This Time, It's Best Actor!_
> 
> _Best Friend or Boyfriend? Regulus Black's Relationship with Prime Minister Crouch's Son_
> 
> _Black Brothers Reconcile! Regulus: "It's All Our Parents' Fault for Tearing Us Apart."_
> 
> _Secrets Reaveled. The Harsh Childhood of the Black Brothers. Orion: "Stay Out of Our Problem."_
> 
> _First Time Ever_ _– A Sirius Black Movie that Flops (For the Very First Time)_
> 
> _Black Brothers vs. Their Own Parents. Biggest Hollywood Drama of the Century!_
> 
> _Freefall_ _– Regulus Black's Worst and Least-Selling Album_
> 
> _The Black Brothers are Officially Disowned by Their Own Parents_
> 
> _Rise Like A Phoenix_ _– Sirius' Best Movie to Date, with Brilliant Soundtrack Done by Regulus_
> 
> _Crouch Jr's Involvement in the Attempt for His Father's Life_
> 
> _Trouble in Paradise? Regulus Black Officially Breaks it Off with Boyfriend_
> 
> _Sirius Black Refused to Comment About His Brother's Tragic Death_
> 
> _Stopped His Best Friend's Suicide Attempt Twice. James Potter: "Piss Off, You Monstrous Vultures."_
> 
> _Winning His Third Oscar at Only Thirty Five. Sirius Black was Nowhere to be Found_
> 
> _Friends and Family of Sirius Black Claimed They Haven't Seen Him For Almost Six Months_
> 
> _Where is Sirius Black?_

* * *

**Boscastle, North Cornwall, England, UK**

Marlene had never needed a man. Growing up with only her mother, who raised her and her four siblings after the death of Mr McKinnon in a car-crash, Marlene knew that she was more than capable to live her life without having to depend on a man. If her mother could do it, then Marlene could too. So Marlene swore that until all of her younger siblings could stand on their own two feet, she would never marry and would only focus on helping Mrs McKinnon to provide her siblings the best life they could manage. For the first few years of her life, her plan worked out brilliantly. She worked her arse off to get a scholarship as a doctor, and getting her PhD degree just a few days after her twenty-fifth birthday. She rarely dated, although she did sleep around once in awhile. Biology was biology, and there was just an itch that sometimes her hand couldn't scratch

But then, she met Alex Hammer. He was the first man that changed her mind. If she was to be honest, Alex wasn't really that special. He was good-looking, but not enough to make people stop to admire him. He was tall, but if Marlene wore her favourite heels, their height difference wouldn't really show. There was nothing special about Alex, except for the way he saw the world. He showed her how beautiful life could be if you viewed it with the person you loved. He taught her to be brave; to love someone other than her family. He made her life all the better and brighter with his love that was endless.  _Love._ Being the rational person she was, it took Marlene two years of dating to be able to say that word to the man. She thought Alex looked incredibly handsome when he smiled and told her that he loved her too.

However, everything good in life didn't last long.

Alex died the night of their third anniversary, in a  _fucking car crash._ And when he was found, they said he had a box of ring in his pocket.

Marlene swore she'd never love again since then.

A big white fluff-ball landed smoothly right beside her where she was by the beach alone, lost in her own mind in her memories of Alex. It took Marlene awhile to realise that the fluffiness she originally thought was a huge cotton-ball, was actually a snowy owl. She recognised the bird as one of the largest in her species, but she never thought it would be breath-taking as well. The owl's arrival snapped her out of her daze, and she reprimanded herself for it. She reached out a hand to pet the owl, finding herself smiling when the beautiful creature pecked her hand lovingly. She never had a pet before, what with her youngest brother being allergic to fur. She always wanted one though.

"You're so pretty," Marlene said, feeling her smile widened when the bird hooted in return, looking a little proud of itself as it scooted closer to her. "Well, aren't you just cocky… Where are you from, pretty one? Where is your master? Do you have one-"

_"There you are, Hedwig!"_  a voice suddenly said, sounding relieved. The owl, Hedwig, turned its head around toward the sound, and Marlene couldn't help herself from doing the same thing.

There was a man running down the beach toward them. The first thing that popped in Marlene's head was how  _beautiful_ he looked. He was tall, taller than Alex was, and was pretty well-built. His hair was dark-blond that could easily be mistaken for brown, and it was long enough that it curled around his neck. When he got closer, Marlene could see he was even more breath-taking up close. He had perfect facial features, especially his jawline, even if he sported a rather thick beard. His best feature, however, was his ice-grey eyes. With the moonlight shining above them that night, his eyes seemed like they were glowing and Marlene was starstruck by them. It was until he bowed down to her level, thrusting his arm forward for his owl to perch on, that Marlene realised she was staring.

She was sure she was blushing furiously.

"I'm sorry if my owl has bothered you in any way," the man said. "She doesn't usually wander around leaving my house. She was gone for the whole day."

"It's fine, really," Marlene replied, hoping that he hadn't noticed she was staring. "She's been keeping me company."

"That's good to hear." He went quiet for awhile before lowering himself beside Marlene, which surprised the doctor. "I'm Sirius – "

His eyes widened in epic proportions as he stopped speaking abruptly. It was almost like he didn't plan that he'd tell her his name. Feeling generous, Marlene decided to return the favour and tell him her name. "I'm Marlene. Marlene McKinnon. What's your name again?"

The man clenched his jaw before replying. "Sirius…Black. My name is Sirius Black."

" _Sirius Black_?" Marlene couldn't herself to let out a chuckle. "I mean, no offense, but what kind of a name is that? I bet it was tough for you growing up with that name."

This time, he looked positively scandalised, which Marlene found weird. Most people would feel insulted. "Hold up. Y-you don't… You  _don't_  know me?"

"Nope," Marlene answered. She frowned, trying to remember whether they'd met before. "Why? Do we know each other? Have we met?"

"Well, no. I don't believe we have."

"Hm… Are you famous or something?"

The doctor knew she asked the right question when Sirius began to move restlessly.

"Kind of?" he answered hesitantly. "Really though. You don't know my name? Are you serious?"

"No,  _you_  are," Marlene replied with a grin. She laughed when the man rolled his eyes in annoyance, albeit the small smile he had.

"Ha ha ha. Very funny. As if I haven't heard that joke before."

Marlene shrugged, still grinning. "It's too good to pass… But yeah, I don't think I know anyone with a name like yours before."

"Whoa, I didn't think Cornwall was  _this_ isolated from the whole world."

The doctor glared at the man. "Hey, don't insult my home! I mean, I live in London now, and I come here only once a year to visit my mum. But  _still._ I grew up here."

"You live in London?  _Wow._  That's it then.  _You_ are the weird one… Cornwall, please accept my most sincere apology for making fun of you." Marlene felt like slapping the cheeky grin on his face.

"You are  _such_ an arse," Marlene snapped, glaring at him. "Who are you anyway? Are you like, a celebrity or something? An actor?"

At her question, he sobered up a bit, a grim expression took over the cheeky grin he had. "You can say that, yeah."

"Huh. Well, if it makes you happy, I don't really follow the movies. Too busy with work. In a way, it is my fault that I don't know you. I guess I am… _weird._ "

This brought back his smile, and Marlene decided she liked him better when he smiled. "You don't have to say that. You don't have the obligation to know everyone, let alone me… Anyway, I hope I'm not being too forward, but what is it do you do? I figure that the only reason you moved all the way to London is because of work."

"True. I'm a doctor. A surgeon, actually. I come here to visit my mum every summer. I usually stay here for three weeks, except if I have to go back for emergency cases. I got here this morning."

"I see… So, is your mother Mrs Meredith McKinnon?"

Marlene nodded her head. "That's my mum, yes. Do you know her?"

"I do," Sirius answered in the affirmative. "You see, I just moved here a few months ago. I live with Minerva McGonagall. Do you know her? Her house is only a few blocks from your mother's."

"Oh, I know Minnie! She's always nice to me and my siblings. She and my mum often spent the afternoon for tea together. You're a relative of her, huh?"

"Um, yes... She's uh, she's my aunt. Her husband just passed away a year ago, you know? And I thought it'd be good if I were to keep her company."

"That's very sweet of you…" Marlene's phone beeped, and she remembered she set an alarm to remind her to return home before midnight. She turned to Sirius, who had looked at her first. "I should get back. I promised my mum that I'd be back before midnight."

"Let me walk you home. I promised Minnie the same thing anyway."

"Well, okay. Thank you."

The walk back to her house was done in silence, but it was a comfortable one. Marlene curiously noted that it was the first time since Alex's death that she felt a lot calmer and wasn't on the brink of hysteria after mourning his death. She wondered whether it was because of Sirius' presence. The man was walking quite closely beside her, so close that Marlene could almost feel the heat from his skin through his long-sleeves. She didn't mean it, but the doctor found herself stealing glances at him a couple times, and each time she felt just as starstruck as she did the first time she saw him. With his owl Hedwig perched on his shoulder, Marlene thought he looked almost ethereal, like one of those fairy-tale princes from her old children books. That was, if princes wore long-sleeved, turtle-necks and neon-coloured joggers.

"Tell your mother I said hi," Sirius said when he dropped her off her mother's porch.

"Of course," Marlene said, smiling. "Thanks for walking me back home, by the way. And tell Minnie I said hi too."

Sirius shrugged, also smiling. "Sure. Good night, Marlene. It's nice talking to you."

"Likewise. Good night, Sirius."

When Marlene closed the door after Sirius' departure, she didn't realise she'd accidentally opened the door in her heart. The door she'd kept shut quite firmly since Alex's death.

* * *

>   **From: James Potter (** **jprongs** **)**
> 
> **To: Sirius Black (** **soblack_pdft** **)**
> 
> _Who is Marlene McKinnon?_
> 
> _\---_
> 
> **To: James Potter (** **jprongs** **)**
> 
> **From: Sirius Black (** **soblack_pdft** **)**
> 
> _A girl who lives near Minnie. Why?_
> 
> _\---_
> 
> **From: James Potter (** **jprongs** **)**
> 
> **To: Sirius Black (** **soblack_pdft** **)**
> 
> _Why? Well, I'll tell you why, you arse. My best friend's hooking up with a girl, and I only found out about it now? From my Godmother, no less. I'm disappointed in you, Padfoot. You broke my heart. Not only you betrayed our love, you also forgot to tell me about it. That's it. I want a divorce._
> 
> _\---_
> 
> **To: James Potter (** **jprongs** **)**
> 
> **From: Sirius Black (** **soblack_pdft** **)**
> 
> _Firstly, tell your nosy Godmother to stay the hell away from my business. Secondly, Marlene and I aren't hooking up, you absolute prick. Thirdly, if we're getting a divorce, I'm taking your wife._
> 
> _\---_
> 
> **From: James Potter (** **jprongs** **)**
> 
> **To: Sirius Black (** **soblack_pdft** **)**
> 
> _There's a reason why I told you to stay at Minnie's. And if you don't want to admit that you're secretly banging this McKinnon girl, fine. Just promise me that you'll tell me if you change your mind. I've seen her picture, by the way. And as a married man who's insanely in love with his wive, I've to admit that she is pretty. Sure, she's no Kate Winslet, but you'd be blind if you didn't see that._
> 
> _P. S. – Lily told me to tell you to marry her in the Liverpool Cathedral. You wife-thieving arsehole._
> 
> _\---_
> 
> **To: James Potter (** **jprongs** **)**
> 
> **From: Sirius Black (** **soblack_pdft** **)**
> 
> _It's not about her looks, James. I just don't think I'll be hooking up with anyone anytime soon. Or ever. I'm much too damaged. I can't ruin her life with my baggage of problems. She deserves better than me. I merely like her company because she doesn't know who I am. Which is weird, and good._
> 
> _P. S. – Tell Lily it's all settled. Just give me a date, and we'll be married. And I'm taking Harry too._
> 
> _\---_
> 
> **From: James Potter (** **jprongs** **)**
> 
> **To: Sirius Black (** **soblack_pdft** **)**
> 
> _You're not damaged, you drama queen. You just have very serious (hah!) problems that you need to deal with to live a proper life. And, wow. She doesn't know you? I'm amazed. Are you sure she isn't playing tricks? Like, she probably knows about you but pretends like she doesn't._
> 
> _P. S. – No, you're not taking my boy. Take the harpy, but leave my son alone, greedy bastard._
> 
> _\---_
> 
> **To: James Potter (** **jprongs** **)**
> 
> **From: Sirius Black (** **soblack_pdft** **)**
> 
> _You're so sweet, James. And I appreciate your concern, but I think she genuinely doesn't know about me. I mean, the last (and probably only) movie she watched was 'Gone with the Wind'. Heck, even my no-good parents weren't born yet when that movie was out. She told me she's a surgeon, and she got there all on her own. Makes sense that she really doesn't know anything about the movies. She was probably too busy with studying and working._
> 
> _P. S. – I'm kidnapping your boy, Potter. Mark my words._
> 
> _\---_
> 
> **From: James Potter (** **jprongs** **)**
> 
> **To: Sirius Black (** **soblack_pdft** **)**
> 
> _All right, then. You're the one who knows her. Just be careful, Sirius. I don't want you hurt. But, my words still stand. If you change your mind about her, I want to be the one to know first about it. And don't forget to come home soon. Take care, okay? Everyone misses you._
> 
> _P. S. – If you kidnap my son, I'm going to sic my mum on you so she can nag you to come home._
> 
> _\---_
> 
> **To: James Potter (** **jprongs** **)**
> 
> **From: Sirius Black (** **soblack_pdft** **)**
> 
> _Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I promise I'll come home soon. When I'm ready. And I promise I won't do anything suicidal either. I miss everyone too. I have to go now, though. I'll call you again later. Tell everyone I love them all._
> 
> _P. S. – Fine. I admit defeat._
> 
> _\---_
> 
> **From: James Potter (** **jprongs** **)**
> 
> **To: Sirius Black (** **soblack_pdft** **)**
> 
> _Love you too, mate._
> 
> _P. S. – Tell Marley McKnickers I said hi._
> 
> * * *

**Boscastle, North Cornwall, England, UK**

Ever since that night she met Sirius, Marlene spent almost every day of her stay at Cornwall with the man. Like a clockwork, every morning Sirius would come to her mother's house at exactly 8 o'clock, and her mother would force him to have breakfast with her and Marlene. Then together, they'd go around town, visiting all the interesting places that Boscastle could over. Sometimes they'd hang out at the local café, ordering two cups of coffee for both of them. They'd talk about practically everything while the hung out. Marlene was so amazed at the extensive knowledge Sirius had about everything. He was very smart, and knew almost everything, which was something that she didn't expect from an actor. She felt a tad big guilty that she'd given him the all-actor-were-dumb stereotype. The more they talked, the more she realised they had a lot in common.

When lunch time came, they'd come to Minnie's house to eat together with the ageing woman. Marlene had always liked Minnie, ever since she was a little girl. She found it a bit weird though that she'd only ever heard about Sirius now. But she never told them about it. Instead, she'd enjoy their afternoon together, listening to Minnie's stories about all the problems Sirius got into with his best James Potter, laughing every time Sirius would scowl in annoyance when Minnie told a particularly embarrassing story about his childhood. They'd then spend the rest of their day walking down the beach, most of the time in silence although sometimes they'd talk about a more private stuff when they felt comfortable enough. This kind of talk was the reason they became even closer in no time.

"My sister's coming to visit tomorrow," Marlene said on her sixteenth day of her stay. It was around eleven at night, and they'd stopped walking to sit on the beach, not far from her mother's house.

"Oh? Which one is it? Mallory or Maggie?" Sirius asked, stroking his cleanly-shaved jaw absentmindedly. He'd recently shaved the beard off, but only after Minnie yelled at him about it. She wouldn't admit it out loud to him, but he looked even better clean-shaven. That, and the fact that without it, Marlene now noticed that he  _did_ look quite familiar.

Like she'd seen his pictures in her sister's phone tons of times.

"The youngest, Maggie. She just got engaged and she's bringing her fiance home to meet Mum."

"Ah, yes. The one who just graduated. She's the only ginger in the family, right?"

"That's that one, yeah."

Sirius nodded. "Okay… So, did you tell me that because her coming to visit would mess up our daily activities? Because really, it's not a big problem to me."

Marlene hesitated a bit before she continued. "Well, not exactly. I'm telling you this is because Maggie is a  _huge_ fan of yours, she'll recognise you easily if she sees you. I only remember about it now though, after you've shaved the beard off. You look unfamiliar with it."

"Well, that's why I kept it," Sirius sighed but said nothing more. They kept walking for quite sometime until Marlene broke the silence, wondering how she'd talk to him about...well,  _him._

"I've been Googling you lately," Marlene started out carefully. When Sirius froze at her words, she instantly regretted ever saying them.

"Huh. And what did you find?" Sirius asked coolly in return, his tone sounding nothing like the one he'd used for the past two weeks.

Marlene didn't tell him that she found out  _everything._ That she found out about his relationship to the great empire his family had built in the showbiz-world. That she found out about his brilliant achievements since he was only ten. That she found about him being disowned by his own parents. That she found out about his deceased brother, murdered by his ex-boyfriend who was none other than the son of the former Prime Minister. That she found out about  _his_ own suicide attempts that his best friend prevented. It took all of her might to stop herself from asking all the questions she'd been dying to ask him. She didn't though. She liked him. She liked their friendship, and she wouldn't ruin it just because she was curious.

So, instead, she asked him, "Did you really graduate  _summa cum laude_ out of Oxford? With a degree in History and Politics?"

"Y-yes?" Sirius replied, taken aback. It was obvious that he really wasn't expecting her to say that. "I uh, I've always liked history, and to an extent, politics."

"This is so unfair!" Marlene exclaimed, mock-pouting. "You're too  _perfect_ to be true, you know? Not only you're gorgeous and have a really successful career since a very young age, you're also super smart? God, I hate you."

Her little rant got him laughing, and she decided she liked hearing Sirius laughed. With a cheeky grin on his face, the actor said, "So, you think I'm  _gorgeous,_ huh?"

_Crap._

Marlene hadn't realised she had said that.

"Well, that's not a big deal," the doctor replied, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably. In fact, she was sure she was blushing. "I think it'd be impossible for you to be this successful if you weren't good-looking."

Sirius shook his head and waved his index finger in a teasing manner. "Nu-uh. That wasn't what you said, Marley. The word you used was  _gorgeous._ "

"Fine. You're gorgeous. There. I said it. Happy?"

"Immensely."

Marlene rolled her eyes, although she couldn't keep the smile off her at the grin on Sirius' face. He looked positively adorable like that. But she had to save face. Crossing her arms across her chest, she said, "You're such a  _child,_ you know? Aren't you like thirty four?"

"Almost thirty five, actually."

"See? You're getting  _old,_ Sirius. Besides, why do you care so much that I think you're gorgeous? I'm sure a lot of people tell you that."

"Yeah, well. But they're not a  _gorgeous_ doctor, though. And when a doctor tells you something, that has to be valid."

This time, it was Marlene's turn to freeze. Except for Alex and her mother, people had never complimented her for her looks. It was always Mallory who was the pretty one in the family. Marlene was always known as the oldest, the smart one, the mature one – anything  _but_ gorgeous. Yes, she wasn't exactly an ogre. In fact, she didn't mean to be vain or anything, but she probably was quite good-looking. But her looks always paled in comparison when people saw Mallory. Therefore, to hear someone telling her that she was gorgeous, and that someone happened to be one of the most beautiful men in the world, was just bizarre to her.

"You don't have to say that," Marlene said in a small voice, feeling rather shy as if she was thirteen again and not thirty. "I wasn't expecting for a compliment in return."

"I know that," Sirius said, smiling in that soft and gentle way he always did with her. "But I have a feeling that people rarely tell you that when it's the absolute truth. You take my breath-away, McKinnon."

Marlene had absolutely nothing to say. She was struck speechless, in a good way. She decided that she could convey her gratitude better with her action, and did exactly that. She grabbed his hand, feeling oddly pleased that he wasn't surprised at the sudden contact, and gently tugged his hand to follow her back to her mother's house. A huge smile began to grow on her face when she felt him squeezed her hand firmly, shifting his fingers to slip them between hers. With a giddiness that she'd never experienced even in her teenager years, Marlene swung their entwined hands slowly, laughing mentally at the way they were acting like high school students. From the light chuckle Sirius let out, she could tell Sirius probably felt the same way, which was understandable. He didn't get to where he was without all the hard-work that no doubt had robbed him off his childhood. With that thought in mind, she decided that she would savour the moment as she pulled him into a run, her giggles turned into a carefree laugh when started laughing as well. Normally, she would embarrassed for acting so juvenile. But she pushed the thought away. She never had this kind of relationship before. Like him, she grew up too quick without ever really enjoying her youth.

So there was no way she'd be giving this up.

Whatever  _this_ was.

> * * *
> 
> **_A Year After His Brother's Death, and Still No Signs of Sirius Black_ **
> 
> By Rita Skeeter
> 
> _Sirius Black (35) has been missing for the past ten months since he was brought to the nearest hospital by James Potter, after his second suicide attempt that his best friend saved him from. There were sources that reported Sirius Black's mental health was declining really quick ever since his brother's death, that in the span of only two months after his brother's death, the eccentric actor with his trouble-making tendencies tried to kill himself twice. The previous day (06/07) was the first commemoration of his brother's death, Regulus Black, who was murdered by his ex-boyfriend Barty Crouch Jr., son of the former Prime Minister Bartemius Crouch. The younger Black brother was murdered by Crouch Jr. because the singer broke up with him when it was found out that Crouch had connections to a group of terrorist that tried to kill his own father just months before Black's death. When Sirius Black failed to show up to the commemoration, where the rest of his friends and families were, questions began to rise one more time about (continue to page 15)_
> 
> _\---_
> 
> **You have 6 unread messages from PRONGS**
> 
> (08:15 AM) Mate, are you okay?
> 
> (08:18 AM) Just ignore that article Skeeter wrote. I promise I'll have my dad to sue her.
> 
> (08:18 AM) My dad. The lawyer. YOUR lawyer.
> 
> (08:23 AM) Minnie told me you're with McKinnon. Tell her I want her to keep an on you.
> 
> (08:30 AM) I'll be nice and assume you're at least dry-humping her right now.
> 
> (08:33 AM) Don't forget you-know-what if you're going to you-want-what with her.
> 
> (08:42 AM) Enough jokes, Padfoot. When are you coming home? Answer me, you jerk.
> 
> \---
> 
> **You have 4 unread messages from EVANS**
> 
> (08:51 AM) Black, how are you? Harry misses you. We all do.
> 
> (08:55 AM) James told me there's a girl? Is she prettier than me? When can I meet her?
> 
> (09:07 AM) Please, don't do anything stupid. I'll personally murder you if you do.
> 
> (09:12 AM) Come home, Sirius.
> 
> \---
> 
> **You have 11 unread messages from WORMTAIL**
> 
> (10:25 AM) Sirius. Are you there?
> 
> (10:26 AM) Well, obviously you read this. So, of course you're there.
> 
> (10:26 AM) It's okay if you don't want to reply.
> 
> (10:27 AM) I just want to tell you that James is calling Skeeter right now.
> 
> (10:27 AM) And he's yelling at her. Like, really yelling. With tons of swear words.
> 
> (10:30 AM) Oh, and now Lily's taken the phone from him.
> 
> (10:31 AM) Good God, that woman has quite the vocabulary.
> 
> (10:32 AM) Harry's been snickering at all the swear words his parents said. Naughty boy.
> 
> (10:40 AM) He said said hi, btw.
> 
> (10:45 AM) I hope you're okay there with McGonagall.
> 
> (10:47 AM) Promise us you'll be home soon.
> 
> \---
> 
> **You have 8 unread messages from NYMPHADORA**
> 
> (11:34 AM) Sirius! How are you? Do you remember me?
> 
> (11:34 AM) You know. Your cousin's daughter. Wife of your best friend. Your niece.
> 
> (11:38 AM) Mum's been worried sick about you. She's threatened to hire MI6 to find you.
> 
> (11:40 AM) It's not helping that the Marauders are the only ones who know where you are.
> 
> (11:45 AM) I'm pregnant, btw. Remus finally knocked me up.
> 
> (11:46 AM) So I expect you to be here when the baby's born, okay.
> 
> (11:50 AM) Please, please, pleaaaseeee come home.
> 
> (11:51 AM) I miss my big brother figure.
> 
> \---
> 
> **You have 4 unread messages from MOONY**
> 
> (12:30 PM) Hi, mate. How have you been? I hope everything's been going well for you.
> 
> (12:35 PM) I know the others have bombarded with you tons of texts, so I'm going to keep it short and simple.
> 
> (12:40PM) You're not alone, Padfoot. You have all of us. We'll always be here for you.
> 
> (12:42 PM) We all love you.
> 
> \---
> 
> **You have 3 unread messages from THE BITCH**
> 
> (03:20 PM) Where are you, demon child.
> 
> (03:28 PM) You should be there. After all, it's all your fault he's dead.
> 
> (03:36 PM) I'll always regret the day I gave birth to you, Sirius Black.
> 
> \---
> 
> **Are you sure you want to block THE BITCH?**
> 
> _Yes_
> 
> * * *

**Boscastle, North Cornwall, England, UK**

"So, tomorrow…"

"Yeah... I am."

It was Marlene's last day in Cornwall. Her sister just got home the other day after staying for five days. Margaret 'Maggie' McKinnon was eight years Marlene's junior at twenty two. Her fiance Eric Lane was much older than her. The man was only year younger than Marlene herself, around her brother Morgan's age, who was the sanest of all her siblings after herself. Marlene later found out that Eric was actually Maggie's lecturer in the university, and they'd been dating secretly since her second year. Usually, Marlene would say something about the relationship and how unethical it was; like that time her youngest brother Michael brought home a man who was old enough to be his  _father,_ or that time Mallory dated two guys at once  _and_ a girl. But she saw how Maggie was happy with Eric, and how strong their  _love_ was. Besides, the age gap between them was nothing compared to the age gap between Michael and his ex-boyfriend, and Maggie was only seeing one person instead of three. So, like the good and supportive sister she was, Marlene gave her baby sister a genuine smile and congratulated her for her engagement.

She had more pressing matters anyway.

Like the fact that Maggie, and even  _Eric,_ knew the truth about Sirius.

The actor came to the McKinnon household sometime around dinner, as per Marlene's instruction. He came ringing at the door bell when Marlene and her family were about to start their dinner, and Marlene was much too slow to stop her mother from opening the door for him. She originally hoped that she could sneak him inside the house and hide him in her room, the whole time trying to ignore the voice in her head that accused her of acting like a teenager. She held her breath in anticipation as she sat across her sister, watching her mother leading Sirius inside the house. He was wearing his Oxford hoodie and another joggers, although at this point, Marlene was almost convinced that the man only had long-sleeved clothing with him. He had his matching Oxford cap on top his head, covering his freshly-dyed blond hair and a good portion of his face. She could see that he intentionally didn't shave, creating the light-stubble that dusted his jaw. At first, both Maggie and Eric didn't recognise him when Meredith McKinnon introduced the actor to her youngest daughter and the man that said daughter brought with her. They didn't even recognise him when he took a seat beside Marlene, which was right in front of Eric. Although it could be for the fact that Meredith introduced him as 'James', something that Marlene practically  _begged_ her mother to do, no questions allowed.

But when Sirius unconsciously took off his cap in the middle of his discussion with Eric about football, and Marlene was too late again to stop him, that was when all hell broke loose.

Maggie let out an inhuman shriek before she started to yell at Marlene about the fact that she was hiding  _the_ Sirius Black from  _her,_ Maggie – the fact that Sirius had hidden from the entire world seemed to escape the youngest McKinnon. Eric was gaping at Sirius in such a way that made him looked like a fish. Meredith was yelling at both of girls to explain to her what happened, the whole time she warily eyed Sirius as if the man whom she had given breakfast every morning for the past three weeks had the potential to be a secret serial killer. Marlene herself was trying to explain to both her shrieking sister and yelling mother as best as she could, hoping that she hadn't accidentally revealed to anyone, Sirius included, that she knew more about Sirius' problems that she let on. The only person who seemed quite amused with the whole thing was the actor himself, who calmly continued his dinner with a small smile.

It took almost two hours for Marlene to explain things to her sister. She made sure she aimed a well-practised glare at Sirius, the same glare that she had used countless times to her siblings to keep them in line, when the man didn't offer any help to explain everything to everyone. In the end, the only way to keep Maggie stopped talking was when Sirius,  _finally,_ offered to take pictures with her and sign her  _The Marauders_ poster that she still had in her old childhood bedroom, as long as she promised that she wouldn't show them or reveal his location to anyone until he was ready to return home. Maggie agreed easily because all she cared was the fact that the man she had been 'in love' with since she was a little girl had agreed to take as many pictures as she wanted with her. Even Eric had asked to for a picture with the actor, looking giddy like a little boy instead of a lecturer with a masters degree when Marlene took his picture with Sirius. It was only then that her mother realised that Sirius was actually an actor, and a very famous one at that.

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Sirius asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

They were hanging in her room, lounging lazily on her bed like two teenagers. The actor had just helped her packing her stuffs. Marlene had tried to stop him, telling him that she didn't have that many to pack anyway. But the stubborn arse was persistent. Deep down she was elated though. She liked spending time with Sirius. If she was to be honest, it saddened her that she was going to leave him. After three weeks of spending nearly every hour of her day with the man, Marlene really couldn't imagine how it would be for her to live a life where Sirius wasn't involved. And that  _scared_ her shitless. She was always independent. Even when she was with Alex, she never worried about not seeing him for every single second of her life. In the back of her mind, she knew exactly why she felt that way about Sirius. But a part of her, the rational and sceptical part of her, wouldn't admit it.

"My train leaves at nine, so I guess I'll leave home from around eight," Marlene replied. When she felt Sirius scooted closer, felt his fingers toying with her own, it took everything in her power to stop herself from turning around and kiss him.

"I'll miss you," the actor said softly. "I don't know how I've gotten this far before without you. And I don't think I can go on without you, Mar."

Before she realised it, his words had brought tears to her eyes. She knew, she  _knew,_ that he felt the same way she did. She knew it, without him needing to say those three words out loud. Marlene was trembling as she forced herself to say the words to him. But as always, she was too cowardice when it was about feelings. When it was about  _love._  So she hid. She hid behind her so-called rational thoughts and logic, saying to herself that there was no way she'd feel that much for someone she'd only known for three weeks, albeit she'd spent nearly every hour of her days with him in during those three weeks. It was just impossible. Yet, despite the lies she told herself, she couldn't help it when she turned around, finding his face just an inch away from hers, and asked him the one question that everyone in his life had asked of him.

"Come home with me," Marlene whispered, her hand hand gone to cup one side of his face unconsciously. " _Please._  If I matter that much to you, come home with me."

Sirius shut his eyes and inhaled sharply, as if in pain. It was sometime later when he replied, with one arm around Marlene's waist to pull her closer, his grey eyes sad and tired. "I promise I'll come home to you, Marley.  _I promise_. And when I make a promise, I  _never_ break them. I can'tcome home now though. I'm not…ready. There's just  _so much_  pain back home. But I promise, when I'm ready, I'll come running home to you."

"Why not now? What's so bad about home that you can't do it now? Tell me, Sirius. Tell me so I can help you."

"It's… _everything._  My parents who despise me, especially my  _beloved_ mother, who never thinks that whatever I do is enough. My friends who always expect me to be all right, who turn a blind-eye to the cuts that mark both of my forearms. The rest of my family who are either praising me for my success,  _or_  hating me for my success. The whole world, who sees me as nothing more than a performing monkey. And my brother, who was taken from me just when we were about to take over the world together, when we were finally free from our horrible parents. It's too much, Marley.  _Too much._ "

"I see," Marlene said, feeling her tears fell profusely now. "But I can't stay, Sirius. I have to go. I'm sorry but I have other obligations to do."

Sirius nodded, even though it looked like it killed him to do so. "I know. I understand. That's why I didn't ask you to stay. I just want you to wait for me. Please. I know it's selfish for me to ask that, but I'll come home one day. I promise. I _will_ come home."

"Sirius…" Marlene trailed off, not knowing what to do. She wanted to wait for him, she wanted that more than anything else in the world. In the end, she asked him another question. "Why me, Sirius? Why did you choose me?"

"I beg you pardon?" Sirius said, taken aback.

"You can have anyone, you know. I'm…I'm not that pretty. I'm not like all those physically proportional girls that you worked with. I'm bossy, too demanding. I have an annoying laugh and I'm much too stubborn for my own good. Why did you choose me? What…what's so special about me?"

"Because of all those flaws you just listed out," the man replied easily. "For me, those flaws are the reason you're perfect to me. Forgive me for being cheesy and cliché, but that's the honest-to-God truth. I swear to you."

"But – " Sirius cut her off though, waving his hand to shut her up.

"I'm a man, McKinnon. And like every man in the world, I want the world in my hands. Wait, I  _do_  have the world in my hands. But for you, I'd give up the world any day."

At this point, Marlene was openly crying. She let out soft sobs that wrecked her entire walls that she'd built around herself since Alex's death, that broke down the door that had protected her heart. Her tears were like the waves that washed everything about her anew, finally giving her another chance to live happily. As Sirius pulled her even closer, and she buried her face in his chest, she wondered briefly if this was the part where they revealed their love for each other, why did it feel so much like a goodbye?

"Promise me," she sobbed, her hands fisting the front of Sirius' shirt to stop herself from crying louder lest she'd alert her mother. "Promise me that the first thing you'll do when you're home, you'll come find me. Go to St Thomas' Hospital and ask for me. Any time, any day. Say I promise."

Tilting her chin up, Sirius looked straight into her eyes when he said, "I swear to you, there's no force on Earth that will stop me from coming home to you, Marlene McKinnon. Because I lo – "

" _No_ ," Marlene said quickly. "You can tell me that when you're back home. And I promise, I'll say the words back to you. In fact, you can even kiss me then."

"It's a deal, Miss McKinnon."

And when he smiled, Marlene thought he'd never looked more breath-taking.

> * * *

_"Regulus! Regulus Black!"_

_"Crouch? How the fuck – "_

_"Regulus, you're going to pay. You're going to pay for destroying me. For ruining me."_

_"Kid, I'm not my brother. You psycho fucking fucking killed him, remember?"_

_"Hello, nine-nine-nine? Yes, I'd like to report – "_

_"Don't lie! I know it's you, Reggie. You can't hide from me forever."_

_"You're fucking delusional. And Christ, how the fuck did you get out, Crouch?"_

_"We're at the subway – "_

_"Stop talking! You lost the right to talk when you broke my heart, Reg."_

_"Fine. I'm done talking with you anyway."_

_"Oh my God, he's got a gun! Hey, mister – "_

_"No, no, no! Don't you go away from me! Reggie, come back here!"_

_"Oh, piss off, you lunatic basta – "_

_BANG! BANG!_

_"He shot him! He shot him twice – "_

_"Crouch, stop – "_

_BANG!_

_"I told you I'd kill you, Reggie."_

_"Freeze! Drop your weapon, Mr Crouch! And put your hands up in the air!"_

_"That's Sirius Black! Somebody, help him! He's dying!"_

_"Take me to my Marley… Please… I promised her… I promised her…"_

* * *

**St Thomas' Hospital, Central London, England, UK**

Marlene was on her night shift when she heard the familiar siren of an ambulance ringing loudly in the middle of the night. She was scrolling through the pictures in her phone that her sister sent her, smiling at one specific picture of herself and Sirius. She really didn't think much about the ambulance, except for the fact that she probably had to go get her partner Dr Brian Whitman from the cafeteria so they could do their job. It wasn't until she noticed a lot of her co-workers started running toward the main entrance that she realised something was wrong. It wasn't until there were flashes of cameras and loud stomping of the footfalls from the horde of the police her heart breath caught in her throat. It wasn't until the good Dr Whitman called out her name that she  _knew._

"No…" she whispered, and chanted the word over and over again and she ran as fast as her feet could carry her off toward where everyone was.

"…step aside, please! Sir, he's going to  _die_ if we don't treat him soon!"

"All right, you vultures! Get out of the way before I arrest any of you!"

" _…ley… M'ley…"_

_"_ McKinnon! Where's McKinnon? Someone go get – "

" _MARLEY!"_

"Yes! Yes! I'm here, Sirius!" Marlene screamed, pushing past everyone so she could get to him.

And nearly dropped onto the ground at the sight of him.

There he was. The man that had haunted her dreams for the past six months. The man that she'd wished every day and night to see every morning when she woke up, lying down beside her with that gentle smile of his that he reserved only for her. But  _God_ , when she prayed to the Big Guy up there, when she asked Him to bring Sirius back to her in anyway He could, she never thought it would be like  _this._ She never thought that when the man finally came to her, he'd be in the brink of death. Marlene couldn't help it when she let out a sob at the sight of his bleeding form.  _There was so much blood._  She heard someone told her than he was shot three times; one grazing his forehead, another one was in the stomach, and the last one landed much too close to his heart for comfort.

"M-Marley? Marley, where…where are you?" Sirius chocked out, twisting around on the bed he was lying on to see her. Quickly, the doctor pushed herself in his line of sight, grabbing his blood-covered hand with her own.

"I'm here, Sirius. I'm here," Marlene said, using her free hand to stroke his blood-and-sweat-soaked hair as she walked beside the bed that her co-workers were pushing to the ER. Her heart was beating really fast in her chest, she was sure she would get a heart-attack.

"I've come home…" Sirius whispered with a weak smile, eyes unfocused. "I've come home t-to you. As…as promised."

"I know. Now hush. You should save your energy."

"B-but I need to… To tell you th-that I lo – "

Marlene shook her head sharply, and only then did she realise she was crying when her tears came flying at the movement of her head. "No, Sirius. You can tell me that when you're okay. Don't say it like a goodbye."

"I d-don't think I can m-make it, Mar… I think I'm going to di – "

" _Shut up_ ," the doctor snapped, and she briefly wondered why the hell was the ER so far away. "You're  _not_ dying. I  _won't_ allow you. I'd fucking drag you back to the Land of Living if I have to."

When he croaked a laughter, Marlene didn't know whether she should be amused or terrified.

"My Marley… Always s-so bossy…" Sirius whispered, his eyes dropping. "But that's…that's the r-reason why I- I love… Love… Lo…"

Alarm bells began to ring in Marlene's head. Frantically looking for her pulse, the doctor turned around to look at her partner, who had been beside her the whole time. "Help him, Brian. Save him,  _please._ I- I can't…"

"I understand," Brian said, nodding his head with understanding. "And don't you worry about it, Marlene. I'll save him. I promise."

With that, Dr Brian Whitman and his team pushed Sirius into the ER, leaving Marlene outside as she could only watch her friends trying to save the man she  _loved._

"Don't die, Sirius," she whispered. "Don't die. You haven't finished that sentence. You owe me…"

She didn't realise she'd lost her consciousness until everything had turned dark and people around her were screaming at her fallen form.

* * *

_"I'm Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet. I'm here at the entrance of St Thomas' Hospital, where Sirius Black was just submitted the other night after he was shot three times by his brother's ex-boyfriend, Barty Crouch junior. Mr Black, who had gone under the radar for over a year, was stopped by Crouch junior at the subway, just when the actor was about to get off the train. Witnesses claimed that Crouch thought Mr Black was his younger brother, and the two were involved in a heated banter for almost a minute before Mr Black decided to leave. That was when Crouch got angry and shot Mr Black, twice at first, and then another one after he got closer to his victim. When the medics tried to save him, Mr Black insisted to be brought to St Thomas' Hospital, to see none other than one of the hospital's top surgeons, Doctor Marlene McKinnon. Ever since then, people have been wondering about what is the relationship between the doctor and the actor, and how they – "_

_"What's this? Skeeter, what_ fuck  _are you doing? My best friend's dying and you're still trying to scoop a news about him? What? Were you expecting to be the first one to report his fucking_ death?"

_"Mr Potter! Viewers at home, I'm now joined by Sirius Black's best friend, the one-time Oscar winning actor, James Potter. And oh, the other Marauders' cast are also here – "_

_"Didn't I tell you to stay the fuck away from Sirius? I think I'm pretty clear on that, Skeeter, and you_ did  _promise that you'd quit your job if you ever work on a story about my best friend again."_

_"Well, Mr Potter, I'm just doing my job. I promised that I wouldn't make stories about Mr Black. But your best friend made the story all by himself. I'm just reporting it."_

_"You cunning bitch… Wormtail, take that blasted mic. Moony, destroy that camera."_

_"Wait, you can't do that!"_

_"Watch me."_

* * *

**St Thomas' Hospital, Central London, England, UK**

It had been a month. A month since Sirius was shot by Crouch. Marlene heard all kinds of things about what happened to the Prime Minister's son, from the rumour that he was shot twenty-seven times by the police, to the one about him jumping off the train tracks while laughing his head off like a maniac. But if she was to be honest, Marlene really didn't care. Punishing Crouch wouldn't guarantee that Sirius would be all right. They could put Crouch into the depths of Hell, and she doubted it would wake Sirius up. Although, that didn't mean she would let it go so easily. There was no punishment on Earth that was enough in Marlene's eyes. And the fact that people thought just by giving Crouch a death sentence would solve everything was making her really mad. Her Sirius was dying, and the law could never bring him back to her.

It took Brian as his team almost ten hours to stabilise Sirius' condition. By the time anyone could see the actor, Marlene had just woken up after she passed out. She didn't care that she was still covered in Sirius' blood when she came running to his room. She barely noticed the people who was standing in front of Sirius' room, barely noticed how everyone dutifully stepped aside to make way for her. When she marched inside, finding five adults and one teen standing around Sirius' bed, only then did she realise that Sirius didn't  _only_ belong to her. Seeing all those faces staring at her, each one of them probably just as popular as Sirius, made her felt a bit insecure and irrelevant. There she was, in her scrubs and white-coat that were tainted with Sirius' blood, her face pale save for the splatter of blood and her hair pinned up in a messy bun, standing in the presence of what could only be some of the most good-looking group of people she had ever seen.

Marlene was very grateful when Brian came into the room, his face impassive as he began to tell everyone about Sirius' condition. Whatever the man said had gone from one ear into another for Marlene, her attention wholly centred on Sirius. She had come closer toward his bed, so close that she could finally see how he was. He was wearing nothing but the thick bandages that wrapped around his gunshot wounds. His skin was sickly pale, nothing like the healthy golden-hue she was used to seeing every day back when they were still in Cornwall. His dyed-blond hair, which had started to fade into its original black colour, was cut closely to his scalp to accommodate the bandages that covered his wound. In all the weeks she knew the man, even though she knew he was depressed, she'd never seen him without his mischievous grin and bark-like laughter. It all seemed surreal to see him lying that on a hospital, seemingly almost lifeless in his state of unconscious, with the annoying beeps that recorded his heartbeat ringing loudly in the room.

James Potter was the first one who introduced himself to her after Brian left. Well, correction. It was more like he marched up to her and pulled her into his arms, before telling her how thankful he was that she was there for his best friend when the man needed it the most. As if on cue, her tears began to fall as well, and then they both cried as they held on to each other as if their life depended on it. It was almost a full minute later when James pulled back and introduced Marlene to his wife and son, Lily and Harry Potter. If it weren't for the fact that both Potters immediately gave her the same kind of bone-crushing hug, Marlene would probably spend too much time staring at them both. Lily was simply one of the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. She was tall, taller than most female Marlene had ever known, with long red hair that flowed like a river down her back. Her son looked like the perfect carbon copy of her husband, except he had her eyes and hadn't really grown up into his father's looks yet. The both of them also thanked her for being there for Sirius.

In fact, all of the visitors there said the same thing, after Harry introduced her to his father's friends, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew; and Sirius' niece and Remus' wife, Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin. All four of them hugged her in pretty much the same way the Potters did, and proceeded to thank her profusely for becoming Sirius' reason to come home. None of them seemed to remember the fact that Sirius had a big possibility of  _not_ waking up because of her gunshots, every each one of them was positive that Sirius would make it. Then again, they weren't doctors. They weren't the ones who knew that patients with wounds as fatal as Sirius' gunshots had little chance of survival, let alone full recovery.

Courtesy of Brian, who was the nephew of the Chief of Surgery for the hospital, she was given a week of leave and was relieved off her night-shift for another month, which meant that she only had to work during the day. It was around ten at night, and she was sitting on the seat beside his bed, one hand was holding his like she'd been doing for the past month while the other one was holding her phone, which was showing the e-book for one of Sirius' favourite books,  _The Iliad_ by Homer. She remembered him telling her that back when he and his brother were still children, before their parents started to pit them on each other so their rivalry would result in a more successful career for the both of them, both Black brothers were always so fascinated with the story, being the closeted nerd that they were. Despite only being two years older, Sirius used to read many books to Regulus, and the two swore that one day, they'd be like the Grimm brothers and wrote books together. Now that she finally had learned everything about the brothers, Marlene found it terrifying that Regulus, the one who was fond of music, was the first one to die, just like Wilhelm Grimm.

_"Everything is more beautiful because we are doomed. You will never be more lovelier than you are now. We will never be here aga – "_

"He never stopped thinking about you, you know," a voice said, cutting off Marlene's reading mid-sentence. When she turned around, she found that it was Minerva McGonagall, Godmother to James Potter and a mother figure to Sirius.

"Minnie," Marlene said in a small voice. Remembering her manners, the doctor quickly jumped off her seat so the old woman could sit on it instead.

But instead, Minnie waved her hand in rejection. "No need, child. I'm not staying for long. I'm just here to see whether Sirius is taken care for. But you're here, so I know he'll be fine."

"All right," Marlene said dumbly, shifting her weight between her legs because she didn't know what to say. It took her awhile to gather courage to speak to Minnie, whose eyes were staring at closely. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Was it all true?"

"About what?"

"That he tried to kill himself twice?"

If she was to be honest, Marlene wasn't even surprised when Minnie nodded her head in a rather calm manner. "He did, yes. The first time he made a cut on both of his wrists, and the second time he tried to hang himself. James was the one who found him both times. He was visiting Sirius with Harry because they hadn't heard from his for a week. It was just a few days after Regulus' death. Sirius received a letter from his parents, saying that they'd rather him dead than Regulus. The second time was pretty much for the same reason. Sirius was only a few hours out of the hospital, and he told James to buy him a pack of smoke at the nearest market. James was barely out of the apartment's entrance when he realised what Sirius was going to do. If James had been late, even for only a second, Sirius could have...he could have died."

"How could a parent do that to their own child," the doctor whispered, turning to look at Sirius sadly as she reached for his hand. Her parents were very loving toward her and her siblings. Thus, she couldn't fathom anyone who would do such a cruel thing to their own flesh and blood. Heck, Marlene couldn't do that to  _any_ child, let alone her own.

"Well, the youngest Black was always their parents' favourite boy, even though everyone knew Sirius was the better genius in the family. But he was a little too…opinionated for his parents to handle. Regulus, on the other hand, was so much more agreeable than his brother. He was docile, even. That was why when Regulus decided to follow in Sirius' footsteps to rebel against their parents, Orion and Walburga were enraged. They felt like Sirius had corrupted Regulus, their perfect son."

"You seem to know a lot about Sirius and his family, Minnie."

The old woman shrugged nonchalantly. But Marlene saw the way she looked at Sirius, saw the sad tears in her eyes. "I've known the Black brothers since they were still babies. I went to school with their mother, you know? And James' mum too. We sort of went on our separate ways when Wally became an actress, I became a lecturer, and Euphemia became a writer. One day, Euphemia asked me to be James' Godmother, and she joked that she trusted me to save James if there ever came a time he needed saving. But the fact was, as I watched the boys grew up, I realised that it was the Black brothers who needed saving, especially Sirius. Regulus was the obedient one. As long as he kept his mouth shut, his parents wouldn't even realise he was there. But Sirius? Things were particularly hard on him."

"The welts all over his forearms," the brunette said in a small voice because Marlene knew exactly what Minnie meant. "Did he often cut himself?"

"He told me that it was either that, or hardcore drugs," Minnie said, her voice shook a little with emotion. "I tried to stop him, I really did. I tried to protect him as best as I could. I made sure that he spent as little time as possible with his parents. But I wasn't his legal guardian. I couldn't do much. And every time I saw him with a new cut on his forearm, every time he showed up at my place with a bruise on his face because Orion hit him, it broke my heart to pieces. I prayed every night for Wally to change, for her to realise that the Black family honour meant nothing if all her sons ended up dying one by one because of depression."

Marlene was shocked to find that her sight had gone blurry, and it took her awhile to realise that she was crying. When she helped the nurses to change Sirius' bandages, she noticed a lot of times the scars on his forearms and his back. Deep down, she'd always known what they meant. But she didn't want to admit it. She refused to accept the fact that Sirius was abused by his parents growing up. Not because she was ashamed or anything, but because she didn't think she could stop herself from marching to the Black family manor to knock some sense into Sirius' parents' head. However, to hear Minnie confirming her worst fear proved to be an even worse feeling. She could just imagine little Sirius who grew up with all the expectations the world had off him, only to come home to his monstrous parents. She thought it was a miracle he hadn't gone insane.

"Is it selfish?" Marlene whispered without looking at Minnie, her eyes solely focused on Sirius as if she could will him to wake up.

"I beg you pardon?" she heard Minnie replied. With tears still rushing down her face, Marlene turned around and looked at the old woman through her tears.

"Is it selfish if I want him to wake up? I understand that life hasn't been easy for him. It'll be all to easy for him to just… _let go._  But I can't accept that. I  _won't._  I've lost two important men in my life, and although it wasn't easy for me, their deaths didn't affect me that much. But if Sirius leaves me, I don't think I can manage. But a part of me just feels  _so guilty_ for wishing that he'd choose me over a way out that'll guarantee him the reprieve he's always wished for."

"My child, I have truly have no answers," the old woman answered, her own tears falling profusely. "I can't say whether it's selfish or not because I feel  _exactly_ the same way. Sirius Black is like a son to me, and I can't imagine if he dies before I do. I just can't. I'm not… I'm not that strong."

And with that last confession, the women hugged each other tightly as they cried for the man whom they loved very much. All they wanted was the best for Sirius. All they wanted was for the actor to be happy. But they knew, if Sirius chose to die because he just couldn't take it anymore, his death would destroy them. In the end, they just cried all the overwhelming feelings they'd been dealing with. They were aware that crying solved nothing. But sometimes, when nothing seemed right, crying could at least relieve you off some of the pain you felt.

"He's long considered you as his own mother, you know," Marlene said once they pulled apart, eyes red and face wet with tears. "He told me that  _you_ are his mother. Not that vile woman who just happened to be the one who carried him for nine months and then gave birth to him."

"And he's  _always_ been my son, from the moment I came to see him at the hospital when he was just a few days old," Minnie cried, one of her hands had left Marlene's shoulder so she could stroke Sirius' hair. She then gave Marlene a small smile and said, "I want you to know that  _when_ he wakes up, you two have my full blessing. I can't say the same thing about his parents. But – "

"You're enough," the doctor said, grinning and she let out an earnest laugh. "You're  _more_ than enough for us."

"You're so nice… Just promise me that you'll always be there for him."

"Don't worry about him, Minnie. I  _love_ him. So,  _so_ much. I'll never leave him unless he tells me to."

As the two women hugged each other for the second time, they didn't see the slight twitch from Sirius' right thumb.

> * * *
> 
> _After Nearly Two Months in a Coma, Sirius Black Finally Woke Up!_
> 
> _The Actor and the Doctor – Sirius Black's True Love Story_
> 
> _Who is Marlene McKinnon? Let's Get to Know with the Pretty Doctor Who Saved Mr Black_
> 
> _The Cast of the Marauders Sued Rita Skeeter for Writing Another Twisted Story about Mr Black_
> 
> _Rita Skeeters' Case – A Lesson to be Learned for Reporters from all Over the UK_
> 
> _Sirius Black Made Recovery in Record Time Now that He's Awake!_
> 
> _Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin Welcome Their Firstborn, Edward Sirius Lupin!_
> 
> _Home Sweet Home. Sirius: "It's Nice to be Able to Eat Real Food Again."_
> 
> _A Quadruple Date for the Cast of the Marauders. Who is Peter Pettigrew's Mysterious Girl?_
> 
> _Recuperation_ _– Sirius Black's New Movie, Starring James Potter As Well_
> 
> _Renegade_ _– Harry Potter Debut Movie_
> 
> _The Time Everyone's Been Waiting For! Sirius Finally Proposed to Marlene!_
> 
> _This Years' Oscar – Sirius Black vs. James Potter vs. Harry Potter for Best Actor_
> 
> _Setting Records Like His Godfather, Harry Potter Won Best Actor at Only 16!_
> 
> _Wedding of the Century! Including Exclusive Details of the Blackinnon Love Story_
> 
> _Harry is All Grown up! The Young Actor was Caught Kissing His Former Co-Star Ginny Weasley_
> 
> _His Parents Announced They were Expecting a Daughter. Harry Potter: "I Thought They Were Too Old."_
> 
> _Double Pregnancy! Sirius Revealed that Marlene's Pregnant too!_
> 
> _The Last Bachelor Standing, Peter Pettigrew is Finally Tying the Knot – with Marlene's Sister!_
> 
> _Blackinnon's Taking Their Friends to Cornwall, Where It All Began for Them_
> 
> * * *

**Boscastle, North Cornwall, England, UK**

"Doctor McKinnon! Doctor McKinnon, help! I stubbed my toe and I think I broke it!"

Doctor Marlene Black, formerly known was Marlene McKinnon, rolled her eyes in annoyance even though she failed to stop herself from grinning. She was just sitting by the beach, like she did just three years prior, with the only difference being the huge belly she had where she kept Sirius'  _devilish_ spawn. Turning her head to the source of the voice, she couldn't help herself when she smiled earnestly at the sight of her  _husband_  making his way toward her. He was only wearing sweat-pants, no longer he was afraid of showing his scars to the world. Besides, he learned early on that Marlene thought he was super sexy with his scars, and he almost decided to throw away all of his shirts when his wife first told him that. It took Minnie yelling at him, telling him to stop acting like a horny teenager, for him to change his mind, albeit reluctantly. Secretly, Marlene had to agree with her husband this time.

Unlike before, where he was sporting a beard, this time he only had stubble decorating his jaw, making him looked even more gorgeous in Marlene's eyes. His hair had grown back to the way it was when they first met, except this time he kept it to its original colour. And as always, even from a far, his ice-grey eyes were simply stunning. The closer he got to her, the more Marlene thought he looked gorgeous. The way he walked with such confidence was so alluring and sexy, Marlene felt like jumping him right there and then, to hell with everyone else who could be watching. It was obvious that he could tell what she was thinking from the cheeky grin he on his face. Back in the day, when they started the dating, the doctor would feel embarrassed at how she was acting. She no longer felt that way now. It was entirely Sirius' fault that he looked like a walking daydream.

"You whiny baby. You're setting a bad example to our child. Besides, it's Doctor  _Black,_ now. Pretty sure you married me around three years ago."

Sitting beside Marlene, Sirius wrapped one arm around his wife's waist to pull her closer so he could kiss her. His other arm was draped over Marlene's belly, and absentmindedly, he began to draw patterns on it. "I'm sorry, Doctor  _Black_. You know I still can hardly believe married you. You're just super perfect for me. So I guess that's a given whenever I forget I've  _married_ you, you brilliant woman… How's my little boy doing in there, by the way?"

"Little girl, Sirius. And she's  _ours,_ not just yours," Marlene corrected, arms crossed as she glared playfully.

Sirius let out a dramatic sigh. " _Fine_ , Okay. How's  _our little girl_ doing in there, sweetheart? You be good to Mummy, okay?"

"She's been perfect, Daddy," Marlene replied, fondly grasping Sirius' hand that was on her belly without realising that her husband would turn her word into an innuendo. Almost immediately, upon hearing her words, Sirius gave her a wolfish grin. It was too late to stop him then.

"Ooh,  _Daddy._ I like it when you call me that. Can we go back to the hotel now?"

For the second time that day, she rolled her eyes. "You randy bastard. We're here because we want to show our friends where we met. Or at least, we're coming here to reminisce the past. I thought that was what you wanted to do?"

"It was," Sirius said, nodding his head. "Since the moment I woke up after Crouch shot me, I'd always been counting down the days, the hours, the  _minutes_ even, until I could come back here. This is the place were we met, the place where we fell in love. I dreamt of the day I'd come back here with you, with my toes in the sand as we do our daily walk down this beach, to feel the love that keeps me entered. However, now that we're here, and I have you right here in my arms, pregnant with  _our_  daughter, I've decided that everywhere is Cornwall as long as I have you with me."

Marlene didn't cry so easily, whether it'd be from sadness or happiness. But Sirius always made her felt so emotional that she almost always found herself crying for one reason or another. She could always blame it on her pregnancy though. Sighing in content, she leaned back against Sirius' chest, feeling safe and calm as she listened to the gentle sound of his breathing. "You can be so sweet, you know. Seriously, the number of your fangirls would grow if they ever find out how romantic you can be.  _But still._  You're not off the hook so easily. We owe the others a tour around Cornwall. My sister, Lily and Tonks would  _murder_ me if I were to spend all of my days here cooped up in a room with you."

Sirius let out a dramatic sigh as he kissed her hair, tucking his chin fondly on top of her head. " _Fine._  We'll take the others on a tour. To wherever they want, even. But only because you asked, and  _after_ we've christened our room."

"Nope."

" _Aw, Marley!_ Please?"

"No, Sirius."

"Please? I'll beg, even."

"Stop that. Your puppy-dog look isn't working."

"Are you sure? What about now?"

" _Ugh!_  Stop it. Stop your face, arsehole."

"Pwetty pwease? With a naked me on top of you on top of a bed?"

" _Sirius!_ That's not even close to the correct saying!"

"Yeah, but I'm  _much_ more appealing than a sodding cherry. I hate cherries, by the way."

"You're so full shit, Black."

"True, but you love me anyway, don't you."

At his words, Marlene felt a smile began to grow on her face. Three years ago, after a year of mourning of her ex's death, she never thought she'd be married to a gorgeous actor and was hopelessly in love with such a fine specimen. Heck, if someone were to tell her that  _this_ would be here future back before she'd met Sirius, she'd probably tell them to find the nearest asylum because they got a serious case of hallucination. But as she moved closer toward her husband to straddle him, her hands planted firmly on his broad chest so she could push him onto his back before kissing him deeply, Marlene knew  _this_ was a future that she'd never give up for anything.

"Yes. That's true.  _So true_ ," she whispered against Sirius' lips. "I love you, Mr Black."

"I love you too, Mrs Black."


End file.
